Bill to block Miss. concealed weapon info advances

JACKSON — The Mississippi Senate has advanced a bill that would block information about concealed-carry weapons permits from public records, unless a judge orders the release of such information.

House Bill 485 passed Wednesday with no debate. The only “no” vote came from Democratic Sen. Derrick Simmons of Greenville, who said the names and addresses of state-issued permit holders should remain available to the public.

A Senate committee added the provision about a court order. The bill returns to the House, which can either accept the change and send it to the governor, or seek negotiations on a final version.

Gov. Phil Bryant’s office says the Department of Public Safety has received two recent requests for concealed-carry information, one from a newspaper and another from a blogger.